


Void In The Abyss

by TheNightWatcher



Category: Made in Abyss (Anime), Rockman.EXE | Mega Man Battle Network
Genre: Action/Adventure, Ain't that ironic?, Crossover, Dark Rockman is a bit of a sadistic brat, Dark Rockman's new body is basically Copy Rockman, Declarations Of Love, Developing Friendships, Eventual spoilers for manga for MIA but will be said at the beginning of author's notes, Fite me then fite him, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, From Netnavi to Robot, Heavy Angst, His end in the anime pissed me off so I made this, How to Friend A Sadistic Robot 101, I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good, Implied/Referenced Torture, It surprises me how few crossovers there are with Mega Man stuff, Male-Female Friendship, Mitty is precious, Mitty is the best, Nanachi is adorable and needs protection, Reg and Riko it's okay you got this, Second Chances, Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-05
Updated: 2018-11-18
Packaged: 2019-06-22 01:46:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15571029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheNightWatcher/pseuds/TheNightWatcher
Summary: Given a second chance at life, a certain darkloid ends up on an adventure he certainly didn't ask for.





	1. The Start

**Author's Note:**

> Hello readers, and I hope you enjoy this. A comment would be appreciated.   
> Now entering, the first chapter of this story.

Dark Rockman always thought he had the worst luck, especially when he was stabbed through the chest. He recalls the pain and statements running through his head as his body slowly dissolved into particles. Each tiny cube of his very being halved and halved until he became what he was,  _nothing._  The netnavi should've expected the sudden attack leading to his delation. His actions were quite risky after all. He preferred to do things on his own. Recklessness without anyone to aid you will usually create disastrous results. Despite this, the darkloid felt prepared for anything thrown his way.

"What a fine specimen you are." A creepy black hand rubbed his facial cheek.

...But he never would've expected to end up in a situation as crazy as this one.

First of all, who's this clown? Suddenly making a 'Villain Monologue' when Dark Rockman awoke...How annoying. He was in a bad mood, damn it, and this creep wasn't helping. The navi bared his teeth, irritated by the hand basically violating his personal space. He twitched, but that only further amused his captor by how the other hummed.

Ugh, quit touching him you pervert!

Yet, the netnavi couldn't fight back. He couldn't, with the many metal straps holding him down. His limbs proved futile in moving more than an inch, and Dark Rockman was growing increasingly hostile from the treatment.

"What beautiful armor...What kind of relics created it, I wonder?"

 _I'm going to kill you,_ Dark Rockman internally hissed, murderous hues staring directly at a face covered by a helmet(mask?) of some sorts.  _When I get out of this; I'm going to kill you…!_ The humiliation was being tattooed into his back.

"That's a great face." His captor cooed. "I didn't think a robot could look so angry. Tell me; what else are you thinking, Robot-kun?" The question shot a wave of bubbling hot lava into the netnavi's stomach, and as a result, his arm moved to punch the masked idiot. Unfortunately, the metal still wouldn't budge.

"Now...How about we go under some tests? I'm sure you'll find it as interesting as I." That mask-wearing creep stared directly into the darkloid's face. Dread crept down his spine. Ruby eyes looked over to the table beside them, noting the horror tools just like in movies and other pointless video games for jump scares. This was the classic scene of a mad scientist vs the victim.

 _This can't be happening…_  A single thought whispered out in a rush as the man picked up a springe and hammer.  _How am I supposed to get out of these?_  It has only been about twenty minutes; is he really going to die again, just like that? Pathetic. Useless. Why can't he ever do something right?

His thought processor paused as something sharp pricked his cheek. The netnavi grimaced on contact, soon glaring daggers again at the masked man with one faintly glowing line down his creepy face. "Hm. I guess your skin is too hard for a normal needle to fully pierce through." The darkloid didn't reply as his captor hummed. "That's quite alright. I suppose we'll just try something else. Shall we?" The rhetorical questions were beginning to grate on the netnavi's nerves. "Let's see…"

Dark Rockman barely had time to think a second longer as searing pain flashed in his hand. A choked cry left his lips as a light  _tink_  resounded not too far from his body.

"Incredible! Even your fingers have inner metal circuits, Robot-kun!"

* * *

 

The room of torture was quiet. There were no more sounds of sawing, slams or glitched cries.

 _He left._ Dark Rockman sluggishly glanced up, noting the quiet room as the soft whirl of a fan reached his ears. The sound came from his very chest, but the netnavi was in too much pain to properly notice.  _That ugly dickhead is finally gone._ Even if only for a few minutes. Dark Rockman was exhausted, he could barely think through the many wounds sustained from his time with the maniac prior. After everything, the sick bastard fixed him.

 _He fucking fixed him._  Reattached the fingers and arm he forcibly removed. Netnavies didn't have metal wires or circuits. The netnavi actually became a robot, hence the idiotic nickname of 'Robot-kun.' It was stupid, bothersome and Dark Rockman wanted to shove the title down the man's throat as painful as possible.

...Who knows how long it'll be until the mad scientist comes back? Ten minutes? Twenty? In the next ten seconds?

 _Get moving._ Dark Rockman told himself through his exhaustion, legs twitching. Once again; he hardly got anywhere with his movement and the netnavi snarled at the ground in the dimly lit room.  _I won't stay here and get dissected any longer!_ His weakened struggles became a lot more reckless, and the netnavi willed himself some type of weapon.

This place obviously wasn't the net, but…

_Clunk._

One of the metal straps broke off. A warm wave of relief flashed across his eyes as he studied his familiar weapon on his freed hand.  _...What is this?_ The blaster looked like normal, but the differences were there. The weapon looked like it had more darkened armor than the norm, matching his own armored body. Is this one of the perks to his new structure?

 _Whatever._ The darkloid decided this didn't matter, even if he was a little pissed this didn't happen earlier.  _I just want out of here._  He aimed the weapon at his other held-down limb and smashed it against the metal. The material holding him down gave away easily, but Dark Rockman wasn't done. He had a tiny bit of extra time, and he could use it to focus on the goal at hand.

The darkloid continued until the entire table was nothing but crumpled metal.

Now decently calm, Dark Rockman scouted the room for a map(he couldn't find one…) and after pushing the door open, bolted into the halls of some kind of base.

 _The mad scientist has his own base, how fun._  The darkloid internally cursed as he came across a sealed-off staircase. He observed the frail tape before taking a quick look upstairs without physically going up. The aura above the seemingly harmless stairs held an ominous aura Dark Rockman knew not to ignore.

He clicked his tongue in annoyance but without much to go off on; this was one of the better choices.

Footsteps lightly resounded down the hall closest to him.

Wary, the netnavi leaped over the tape and dashed up the stairs as quietly as possible to avoid detection. He grit his teeth as he reached the top, glancing around the newly revealed darkened halls before growing frustrated. The lights briefly flickered as Dark Rockman stealthily walked by.  _That's it!_ He aimed his blaster at the nearby wall and prepared to fire.  _I'm making an exit myself!_  As he refused to be toyed around with further. The weapon released its sphere of destruction, and the netnavi found himself fascinated at the large hole it created in the base's material.

Seconds later, an alarm blared.

 _Oops, that was too much noise, wasn't it?_ He twitched, viewing the flash of red lights before his features stretched in glee at his new current thoughts.

...There's no room for making a stealthy escape while he knew nothing of this place. Infiltration was never a good thing if you didn't have a map. Usually, he had no trouble with retrieving a blueprint of an area, but this was obviously not the net. Never has Dark Rockman ever bled oil or faced someone who  _could_  bleed the familiar life-substance of blood if hit hard enough.

A darn shame he barely got the chance on the masked creep.

With a grin, Dark Rockman fired several more shots into the damage. He recklessly jumped through the broken parts of the base. The netnavi heard several footsteps and shouts coming after him but the netnavi had already indulged himself in the destruction he created. They wouldn't be able to maneuver their way fast enough in the rubble unless they wanted to risk being badly cut from the area's sharp metal. Finally, the last layer of wall caved(hm? Was there some type of invisible wall blocking him moments ago?), and light finally touched his weapon.

Dark Rockman took his first few steps in the outside world, amazed by the near barren wasteland he'd been introduced to.

It reminded him of the odd places in the Undernet, although this area resembled the arctic, or somewhere that was extremely icy.

"Beautiful, isn't it? This area." Familiar, annoying and  _creepy_  all in one.

The netnavi leaped forward, sliding on his overly smooth feet, eyes trained on the one who somehow made it to his location. Dark Rockman turned the blaster toward the tall man (Eh? He looks slightly different…) without hesitation. No words were further given, and the atmosphere was rather quiet and full of landmines. The darkloid gained a larger grin as the thoughts of ripping his bastard apart were becoming closer and closer to reality.

Dark Rockman practically circled the other, head down but weapon still and carefully aimed. The masked human said nothing and didn't move despite the pressure of incoming battle crushing both of their shoulders. The netnavi finally sneered at the silent other. "I guess. ...Who cares about that?" There are more important matters to see. "You came here for a reason. Trying to stop me?" Go ahead and attempt.

"Well, Robot-kun," The man began, likely unaware how Dark Rockman twitched at the name. He smoothly continued. "Your escape was certainly unique in itself, but rather unnecessary."

The netnavi didn't voice this, but he honestly doesn't give a damn.

"You're a unique anomaly that hasn't been seen in the Abyss in a long time." A chill followed the creep's words as an unknown weapon was revealed in his hand. Seconds pass and the same deadly weapon gained a familiar glint from back in the room of suffocation and pain. "I can't simply let you go. It'd be a shame, don't you think?" That was a confirmation for a fight. There was no way out of this aside from beating this man to a bloody pulp, lethal weapon and all.

Dark Rockman refused to flinch. His blaster continued to gather energy as time stretched on, providing a line of comfort for the netnavi.

...In fact, he always liked a challenge.

The darkloid leapt forward like a cat, swinging his weapon without firing. As the masked creep performed a quick jump backward, Dark Rockman quietly swore from his lack of weapons. A blade would be useful in this circumstance. Before the netnavi could fire properly, he was slammed into the ground, which was very much not soft at all. There was a flash from his blaster but the lack of roar from impact indicated a complete miss. Not even a second passed before he found himself in the air, soon rolling across the unforgiving surface when he crashed back down.

Dark Rockman twitched and dug his fingers into the ground, wincing as the recoil of his own body weight seemed to fight against the gravity pulling him. He finally slowed before falling off the nearby cliff. The darkness below looked bottomless. There was no time to waste, and the netnavi forcefully dragged himself away from the edge and attempted to stand back up under the still-air and odd surface.

Fighting in unknown conditions was ridiculously tiring.

A glint in the corner of his vision served as a warning and Dark Rockman used an arm to shield himself from the incoming weapon. It stabbed into his unwarmed limb and the netnavi bit back a hiss at the sudden flare of pain. Regardless, he raised his blaster again and fired without a moment's pause. This time the blast came in contact with the target and the darkloid didn't relent. He fired several more times before yanking his pained arm away from the harmful weapon.

The masked creep had holes in his body and proceeded to fall to the ground in a sluggishly slump. The netnavi didn't allow this and swiftly kicked him down instead. Ruby eyes practically gleaming, the atmosphere around the last one standing gained a spike of victory. One of his feet immediately stomped on the masked man's face, but unfortunately, the mask didn't snap. Dark Rockman hummed and increased pressure. The masked man was still alive, though barely.

"So. Where's the closest entrance to this place?" Dark Rockman practically purred, steadily placing more and more weight on the fragile head beneath his feet. The other should be grateful,  _this_  was  _mercy_  compared to what the jackass did to him. "I'm giving you ten seconds. One…" He was already in a foul mood. This mad scientist better has answers he liked or he's going to throw a fit.

And that very fit of toxic rage will not stop until this place is nothing but ashes. He'll make damn sure of that.

Before he reached seven, the netnavi noticed a piece of paper sticking out the damaged man's pocket. Wordlessly, Dark Rockman snatched the loose sheet.

 _Oh!_ A grin of mirth grew on his face as he read the simple piece of paper over. Pictures and numbers represented the area and others.  _I found a map._  A bit burnt from his attacks, but nothing too bad. "So you  _had_  a map anyway! What did I do to gain such a fancy reward?" Dark Rockman remained with his Cheshire smile, glancing down at the one under his foot.

"Data...Of course." The creep bothered to answer the rhetorical question. Voice low and muffled under the netnavi's feet, the idiot continued to speak with his annoying polite tone. "This has been...A valuable experience. I will remember it well, Robot-kun." The one was one of praise and admiration. "I must thank you." This time the words came out close to a pained rasp.

"Ohh?" The darkloid hummed.

Dark Rockman then crushed the other's head mercilessly. He took the take to the joy in the sound of crushing a skull. Ah, good memories and fresh juice from retaliation. Dark Rockman knew this minor act of revenge wouldn't help his mental health in a long run, but for now; the netnavi felt satisfied with the gore under his feet and the final silence aside from the harsh conditions of the arid area.  _Huh, it felt a little different from deleting regular navies._ Likely because the body wasn't disappearing as if it never existed in the first place.

Dark Rockman turned away from the corpse below, observing the barren wasteland in front of him. He would have to be very careful of any holes akin to the cliff by this area. There would be a ton of trouble climbing  _that_. Seconds later, the map was flexed out in his hands. He took a moment to smooth out the paper, burned pieces and all. The netnavi then used a finger and registered he was somewhere in the lower layers of the fifth, close to the sixth. Apparently, there were around eight layers.

 _I don't know how this entire world works, but I'll just make my way up._  Such an action was the best guess, as he could tell there was some type of civilization on the surface. ...There better be, or he'll be severely disappointed. This was an excellent chance to see human civilization first hand and not through the net. Dark Rockman isn't picky, even with this metallic-like body; the netnavi was confident in blending in and gaining information from the other race. Everything may be...A bit different(including himself but only in appearance wise), but he can handle whatever this odd world throws at him.

Dark Rock turned back to the lifeless man. Staring too long gave him a slight migraine for bad memories of what had conspired hours ago. He kicked the body a few feet away for the fun of it and pocketed the map in a metal compartment. Eyes now set in determination; the netnavi-turned-robot made his first steps forward in this new place. No one would be able to stop him. Not that masked creep, nor any alien or any other creature who dared to challenge the darkloid.

The first goal of this...New chance; he'll scale this pit to the top. Information was seriously needed before he did anything reckless. Until then, Dark Rockman was on his own in terms of knowledge and survival. Thankfully this wasn't much different from past experiences, and he adopted an expression of indifference as he shrugged.

_I'll roll with it._

And thus, the robot's adventure had commenced.


	2. Snowflakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dark Rockman slowly accepts the problems that come with becoming a robot. Good news, he made it to the surface. Bad news? He gains a troublesome tag-along.

Snowflakes gently fell from the actual sky, blessing those below with a beauty thoroughly wasted by others' selfishness. Most were already used to seeing the icy flakes all the time, and so they continued on with their lives in the town with indifference. A breeze of sorrow harshly bit those who dared to dress without care to the dangerous cold, the vengeance growing in a ball of a likely storm.

Dark Rockman sincerely couldn't pay attention to the weather. His legs and feet were practically numb, the sensation mixed with lead and hollowness. The robot was laid on the snowy ground, already leaving an imprint in the sheet of white. He blankly stared up at the  _real_  sky, not the net or anything of the like. Apparently, this was reality.

...He'd admire it a lot more if his limbs didn't feel so heavy.

**[Low Power]**

Ah, and this stupid message has been bothering him for quite some time. The robot knew how to remedy it but his recklessness resulted in this mess of being unable to move before he could apply the cure. Through the snow falling on his face and the wind pushing more snow on his limp sides; Dark Rockman felt he had the right to feel incredibly annoyed.

 _I can't believe I made it out,_ His mind supplied with a twinge of bitterness.  _Just to collapse as soon as I get near town!_ Unbelievable. That really pissed him off, yet the only expression he could manage was a heavy frown with wandering eyes. His ruby hues kept at the job of searching for anything useful nearby. Despite his predicament; there had to be  _something_  around.

There was nothing. Perhaps a few branches but he can barely move his arms. Wonderful.

 _Stupid, stupid...Idiot!_  Why had Dark Rockman made such a mistake? Did he get cocky because of all the creatures below? Did he believe even the surface was a complete pushover compared to the pit of creatures and wonder? Ugh, he should just-

"Woah!" A high pitched voice cut off his line of thought. Young, female...Human?

His ruby eyes finally trailed to the side, viewing a child in practical rags staring back at him. She was ten feet away and the darkloid briefly wondered if he'd notice her if he had  _really_ been paying attention.

Her hair was a coral red matching her eyes. She was fairly small for a human, indicating a child of young age and living in poverty. Her clothes fit but held a very baggy presence to them, indicating the clothing may or may not be too thin to wear in an incoming snow-storm.

She practically darted over to him, kneeling by his side in the snow, and in response, Dark Rockman nearly blanched when he realized he was at the mercy of someone younger than Netto.

Despite the dread creeping through his internal circuits, the netnavi kept a consisting mask of a light smug smile with half-lidded eyes.

Then, Dark Rockman internally hoped to escape this with nothing more than a few curious pokes and maybe a question.

The little girl blinked slowly, a sparkle coming to her eyes as her mouth widened into a circle of wonder. Oblivious to the darkloid's inner turmoil, a tiny finger poked right next to his nose. Before Dark Rockman could even grimace; the action was repeated but with more fervor. "You alive?" Her voice smacked the netnavi out of his internal dread. "Hello?"

A line of restraint finally snapped and Dark Rockman moved a centimeter trying to move his arms. His ruby eyes sharpened in her direction as a frown overturned his smile. "Hands off! If you had any sense, you'd know touching people without their permission is disgusting!" Perhaps the netnavi was a bit of a hypocrite but he could care less right now.

"Sorry!" The child yelped an apology, hand retreating an inch but not quite leaving his personal space. A moment of silence passed between them. The robot continued to stare in silence while the human tilted her head a little to the side. "Why aren't you moving? You'll freeze to death...Erm?" She trailed off purposely but Dark Rockman refused to give a name.

The snowflakes above refused to let up, aided by the wind to bury those who were both kind and selfish.

"That's  _my_  business. Now, leave me and go home." He practically hissed, rolling his eyes as much as possible. The netnavi doesn't want to know why a little girl was out in the heavy snow in improper clothes, nor did he have an interest in speaking with her. The only reason he was opening his mouth was to defend himself from childish curiosity in his currently unguarded form. "Shoo." He frowned, sharp ruby remaining on the coral haired child before him.

She didn't budge.

Dark Rockman barely contained his temper.

"Do you need help?" The girl finally questioned, eyes full of the dangerous interest he was trying to avoid. "I think...I think I can help you. Tell me what to do!" Determination sparked and the robot in the snow nearly flinched from the intensity. "Frostbite is cruel! And you're not too far from my age…" She shook her head, coming to focus on him once more. "Let me help you. Then maybe we could…" Her words fell to an inaudible mumble. It was likely she would repeat the statement in a bolder tone.

The darkloid is confident he won't like the next words coming out of her mouth. "Fine. Just shut up and listen to my instructions, alright?" He's likely going to regret this. There are so many things wrong with getting help from a weakling. Debts, admiration from the inferior… It's almost as if he had the ability to eat because he could've sworn his mouth began tasting ash. Worse, she thinks he's  _her age._  The netnavi can calmly assure, he's not; even if he looks young.

"Right!" She looked on in something close to concern,  _almost_ resulting in the robot on the sheet of white to flinch.

"...Do you have any," Dark Rockman dismissed the child's expression of intense concentration to think of a word to match his description. "Of those weird rocks back in the Abyss?"

The little girl bore holes into him with a long gaze. The robot would've started sweating in embarrassment if he was able to. Instead, his own eyes stayed neutral with an edge of annoyance. "It's a simple question." He grit with a quickly thinning patience. "Do you or don't you?" Dark Rockman hated speaking with extreme youth, humans standing in a special circle. Their thought processes and his were too different.

"Oh. You mean relics?" She nodded slowly, reaching into her pocket. Apparently, Dark Rockman had made a face or slight action relating to unease because she looked back at him immediately with furrowing eyebrows. "Relax! I'm not gonna hurt you." For some odd reason, she paused in her actions. "You're hurt, that's why you're not moving, right?" The little girl reasoned with another smile. "Don't worry. I'll help. Though, I'm not sure how relics will do anything…"

Dark Rockman didn't reply, merely watching her every move. Eventually, she pulled around oval-like structure from her pocket. He briefly wondered how she was able to store  _anything_  in those rags. "It'll help," He grunted to catch her attention, which had been idiotically captivated by the so-called 'relic.'. The darkloid couldn't argue, however, mainly because he knew it  _was_  a relic. The object just looked incredibly different than the ones he was used to.

 _Different qualities for the deeper layers?_  An interesting fact he'll save for later.

"What do I do with it?" The girl with coral colored hair questioned, instruction needed for her next move.

"Place the relic in my open hand." Dark Rockman took a moment to think further on that thought. "The one without the occasional twitch." And she obediently did so without a fuss; which was the only thing he ended up feeling grateful for.

He focused on the rock-No,  _relic_ , and watched the object darken into a sickly gray before crumbling to matter akin to dust.

His only observer openly gasped.

Dark Rockman took a moment to properly have his systems distribute the newly acquired energy. Seconds later, he noted the invisible blockages in his circuits fall away. He sat up, brushing small piles of snow off him. The nameless girl remained frozen as he then finally stood. There was a tiny surge of satisfaction at being able to move again, along with the fact the robot was much taller than her than he thought.

"Wow! You just...Just turned it to dust! How?" His pride spike was short lived by the child suddenly standing up in height to his chest, beaming like a dog who found bones after a long hunt. "That's so cool! Could you tell me?" Her attention was clearly enraptured by his oddity. There was no way to dodge her questions verbally aside from threats and considering the fact it's his first day here; he'd rather do something less violent in order to gain information without being hunted down by whatever authorities they had here.

Dark Rockman calmly cleared his throat with a fake cough and well-placed glare. He ignored the buzz of annoyance in the back of his mind. The desire to simply shove her to the cold ground was very much present.

Apparently, his expression was enough to get her to back off. The little girl's earlier excitement died down to carefully apologetic. Dark Rockman...Almost felt bad. He fixed his features into a mere smile. "I'm afraid I can't you the details," The robot nearly snickered at her next expression of disappointment. "However since you aided me in my time of need…I guess I could answer  _one_  question." The joy came flying back in the girl's face.  _Creepy,_  His mind supplied as he absentmindedly stretched his feet.

"Okay! Give me a sec…" Her cheerful facet fell into a concentrated expression. "Got it!"

Dark Rockman hummed in reply, finding his limbs to be in mint condition. He could already hear her question coming a mile away. He's heard the same thing over and over through the days he's been stuck below. He's met a couple humans and avoided others. Upon the encounter, he'd get inquiries shot at him. Questions about his 'creators'. Demands to who made him, or what he's made of. You'd think he's stuck with a bunch of scholars, just lacking the brains. Ha. Idiots.

"What's your name?" The innocent question almost didn't make it into his hearing perimeter.

Peculiar, no one has asked for his name in such a manner. The surprise nearly showed itself on his facet. At least he knew how to deal with unique situations like this one, cowardly as it was. He had originally planned to give a fake answer to her nosy curiosity but now Dark Rockman himself was somewhat willing to answer the inquiry. Despite this, there was a strong vibe in his core refraining him from doing so. Is it really that bad to give out his name to a little girl? It's not like she was smart enough to use his title to her advantage. He could...Humor her. Even if only for a little bit. It's been a while since he's had actual interactions.

Coming to a decision, the robot opened his mouth.

Two small hands grabbed his own, lifting it halfway into the cold air. Snowflakes continued to fall yet he could tell the ice had started a gentler descent. Background noise to his hearing, the wind cheerfully whistled rather than howled. The little girl was beaming at him with a friendly smile he was unused to seeing. Pearly whites lacked the lack-luster of malice. She looked welcoming, ready to greet a stranger with a smile because apparently living in excitement is one of the best ways to live life.

"I'm Mitty!"

For a moment, he saw Netto, in that bright expression of hers.

Dark Rockman ripped his hands from the girl called 'Mitty' and took a flying leap into one of the nearby trees. White noise flooded his hearing as he landed on hard branches and bristles. His hands aided in his escape, moving to fully hide among the thick greenery surrounded in the white. There was a swift shuffle of movement but they both knew her climbing was futile.

"Hey! W-Wait…" The girl called, obviously flustered by his rash actions.

The robot refused to turn back as he eventually bolted, teeth gritting.

What the heck was he doing? Playing games at a time like this...Right after he nearly powered down from low energy! He should stop wasting time and actually get something done. Information...He needed information. Not distractions, not pointless conversations, and most  _certainly not_  children to sway him from achieving his objectives for the day.

Dark Rockman located the town not too far from where he had climbed. He stopped on a snowy hill, observing the lights from the buildings below. The darkloid pushed away his irrelevant internal thoughts and focused ahead on the present. Civilization was finally within his grasp. After the countless days(?) he spent down in the 'Abyss' without much information on the place; there was an opportunity to learn more about the area's history and more.

He smirked.

_Perfect._

* * *

Laughter resounded across the bar, wooden boards creaking when someone got too excited, and cups clinking when pushed in for a toast of either happiness or acceptance of a future despair. The atmosphere varied between light-hearted and gloom; the positivity expressing dominance from the constant grins and brave stories from down below. The occasional dark joke did not faze the light or cold-hearted people of this town.

The adults present were different according to their scars and muscles. They were drinking the day away, an aim to escape reality of losing companions or themselves to the 'Abyss.'

Spilled drops of alcohol and the like remained forgotten unlike the memories of those forever lost.

A lone brunette who appeared to be a child sat in the corner near the counter. If anyone questioned his presence; it did nothing to move him from the spot he chose. In his hand was a simple cup of orange juice, forbidden anything else aside from milk; the one substance he wouldn't dare take in favor of keeping his pride. He was tossed a few looks many times but the adults in the room kept to themselves.

At least, until one spoke.

"Hey kid, you a whistle?" Gruff, but not unkind. The question halted several conversations, and the brunette dressed in light clothing knew more than a couple was in his story.

_Keep waiting for nothing, nosy dogs._

"What makes you say that?" Dark Rockman traced a finger over his cup, observing the container and its contents. The orange substance swayed to the slightest movement.

"You seem to be the type; an explorer who's already been in some of the deeper parts of the Abyss." The man had an eye patch along with a scar tracing from the patch of clothing over his eye. His actual eyeball held a brown iris and a lonely pupil. "You're young but experienced. You a blue whistle or something?" He questioned, and the bartender quietly placed down a jug of beer in front of the man. The nameless man took a swing not too long after that.

"Hmph," It was really none of the old man's business. In truth, Dark Rockman wasn't sure how to lie about this inquiry. He knew nothing of how the whistles worked, but the robot knew those in the Abyss held them in some sort of regard. "And if I am? That an issue?" He smiled, intentions full of bubbly poison and cold mock.

"You should quit while you still can." The warning stayed in the air as the atmosphere shifted and silently hissed profanities. The bar was quieter, a few whispers under the clinks of glasses. A deep sigh left the one-eyed man as he studied his own drink. "A child should be able to enjoy their childhood without losing a limb or two. Enjoy playing outside and all that crap. The Abyss is a dangerous place. Dangerous people, dangerous creatures..." A finger gently brushed the adult human's eyepatch. "A corpse weeper took my eye. Its tongue muscle was almost like a blade, ya know?"

Dark Rockman couldn't really relate because of his unique situation but he might've met one of those...Corpse weepers. The robot couldn't confirm this, but that's only because he doesn't have a face to match a random label. "Ah well, thanks for the advice." He got up and strolled over to the old man. Without much further thought, he climbed into the tall chair next to the eye-patch wearing person.

Dark Rockman's legs crossed in front of one another and he leaned forward. "I appreciate the sentiment, buuut," Honestly; he couldn't care less for what anyone had to say. This whole conversation? The robot wanted nothing to do with it. However, the information could be helpful if he pushed. "I'm not going back down there anytime soon. Mind telling me where I could find useful information on that place?" Appeal to the man's words. Ask the question directly. "You know. To be more informed." And all that.

Dark Rockman put on a more polite smile.

The slightly wary look the robot received made him wonder if he seemed creepier than usual.

"There's always the library, kid." Someone else murmured a bit sarcastically but the robot couldn't find them in time as the bar remained quieter than it had minutes before. Light murmurs in agreement resounded in the air as some people went over the advice. The drunk adults in the bar were likely being friendly because of their drinks but in truth, Dark Rockman thought they were just all-talk idiots.

"That's true. Just know some books are still off-limits to children. Moon and black whistles hold access to them." The one-eyed man helpfully added with a shrug of his shoulders as the brunette looked thoughtful. "Good luck finding the place." Now that it's been said; the library made much more sense. A reliable source to gain what was needed.

Still, Dark Rockman couldn't help but stare with no small lack of amusement. "You all don't know where the library is?" He was nearly exasperated by their foolishness and inability to have information if they were truly risking their lives. These people were much stupider than he thought. He could think of  _children_  who could do better.

"Nope, sorry, boy." One casually added.

"Never really went." Another drawled.

"Somewhere…"

Dark Rockman stood up, placing the orange juice on the counter. He's had enough of this place. While he had always wanted to go to a bar and casually observe; these people almost made him feel physically sick. At least they told him the existence of a possible library. Ugh, the snow trying to slow his systems were much better than  _this._  Abandoning the drink; he walked to the doors and dismissed the slurs and drawls of 'May the Abyss connect us all!' as he left.

The robot couldn't help feeling slightly put-off by those words.  _The statement of a cult._  Dark Rockman frowned, exposing himself once more to the biting cold. The freezing wings hardly affected him but the temperature did well to slow his internal systems. Thankfully, his new body can still take a lot of extreme weather before finally succumbing. He'll be fine as long as he makes a pit-stop every now and then.

The robot walks through the streets of the snowy town. There were fewer people outside than he expected, but considering the weather; he wouldn't bother with today either. At least, he was able to confirm shops and other food-stuffs he didn't need. Now, if he happened to find a relic shop, that would be interesting.

"Found you!"

Dark Rockman didn't stop walking. However, his lack of action did nothing to pause the sudden weight on his leg. Disdain written in his eyes, the robot turned his head to the little girl clinging to his foot. Like before, she held a positive vibe, and her coral colored features shined beautifully despite being shunned by her 'prisoner.'

"You have five seconds to get off my leg." Dark Rockman cooly commented, standing still as the snow appeared to slow.  _Five...Four…_  He isn't against sending her(what was her name again...Oh,) flying. The adults present doesn't seem to be watching, either. She might break a bone or two but that wouldn't be his fault.

"I just want to know your name! You promised!" She blackmailed as if such words actually held weight with a person like him.

"No, I didn't." The robot bluntly replied. "How do you know you have the right person?"

"Who else has ruby eyes?" Good point, though she's still annoying. "Is your name really that embarrassing?" Mitty squinted her eyes suspiciously.

Dark Rockman kicked forwards, sending her a few feet and into the unshoveled snowy floor. The muffled shout of surprise was satisfying as he swiftly turned heel and started down a different path. He had a destination to get to, after all. No time to waste on clingy little girls.

He caught the swift sound of  _poof_  before Mitty was rushing to meet him again judging by the sound of fast footfalls. Her stubbornness could almost be described as courageous considering the fact he cruelly rejected her presence.

"Waaait! Could we at least,  _talk?"_

The robot kept walking.

"Gah!" Her frustration nearly made him giggle if it weren't for his annoyance."M-Maybe I can help you!" Mitty seemed to fumble her hands, motions of nervousness making themselves known. She desperately wanted him to stay, for reasons he couldn't yet explain. Despite the caution needing to be acknowledged; the offer hung high as an opportunity ribbon.

Dark Rockman scoffed and finally halted, turning so he could face the girl's relieved facet. "You know where the library is?" His question was fairly lacking in enthusiasm.

The little girl still beamed as if she was given candy. "Yeah! It's a bit of a tricky place to find...Like a needle in the snow. Wanna go there?" Her metaphor was horribly wrong. Does this girl even know what she's talking about…?

Dark Rockman stared at her for a long moment, taking slight delight in the discomfort he caused when Mitty started to fidget. "Lead the way." His fists tightened. "You better not be lying to me." The underlying threat remained as he allowed the girl to lead. She looked a little  _too_ eager in his opinion, but as long as she kept quiet; this will be fine.

Mitty tossed him a side-glance as they turned a corner.

"...Can I get payment for my services when we're done?" Her request was reasonable but also suspicious of her age...Whatever that is. Likely in the single digits. Who knows who taught her that sentence and why.

The robot then wondered if this was a good idea.

"Fine, what 'payment' do you want?" Dark Rockman watched a starving dog run by with a piece of chicken in its jaws. Its eyes held a glint of gleeful happiness as the four-legged creature ran into a dark alleyway. As a former netnavi who's only seen cat and dog videos but never saw one close to face; he was a bit awed. ...Not that he'd admit it.

Mitty chose that moment to point directly at him. "Your name!"

He snapped out of it, looking back toward the little girl once more. She didn't acknowledge his stare, pointing before coming to a complete stop in her steps.

They stopped in front of a building hidden between two worn down structures. He couldn't read the words on the board due to age already whisking away the paint into a faded hint of presence. The robot looked to the door and approached. He reached for the knob.

A forced clear of the throat made him pause.

"...It's...Dark Rockman." He finally replied with the slightest roll of his eyes.

"Dark Rockman…?" Mitty pondered his title with the twitch of her lips. She was left unaware of being the first to say his name in...A while. She stared at him while he opened the door without another thought. "Oh," The little girl breathed quietly with a blink. "That's a good name!" She added after a moment of silence.

Dark Rockman left inside. He surprisingly didn't say a word even when Mitty followed in after him.

The library was a bit of a rundown place. The floors were dusty and the lights were fairly dim. At least there were a good collection of books, resting on the old wooden shelves. Strangely enough, there was no librarian present. The robot strolled over to a shelf and opened one. He read over a few sentences before grunting in disdain. "Can't read it," He stressed with a slight growl. His head quickly snapped over to his current stalker. "You. Come read this book for me." He paused after hearing his own words.

Mitty answered for him. "I have a name, and it's Mitty!" She huffed before snatching the book from his hands. She squinted at the scribbles meant to be words. "You can't read this? It's the all-around language…" The girl trailed off when noticing his body-language he purposely expressed as nervous. "I guess I can help you! I don't really have anything to do right now..." She smiled with a nod. "Are you trying to read about the trees?" A finger traced the words.

Dark Rockman scoffed, " _That's_  what I picked up?" He was almost disgusted with himself but there was no legitimate reason to be. It was a simple mistake, right? No, the former netnavi hated mere mistakes. He turned his head away with clenched fists of negativity. Unlike before, the darkness in his core remained. "Garbage. I need information on the abyss." He took a long glance at the row of books.

At first, he only needed instructions to the library but the girl has proven her worth with the knowledgeable use of her home language. Dark Rockman knew he might run across some sort of language barrier in terms of this actual world, but after listening to how the humans here spoke and communicated he learned a good deal of knowledge. As for reading in their language, however…

"Ohh!" The girl gained sparkles in her eyes again. Admiration, respect, and awe shined in her coral hues. "You're interested in the abyss too? Then! I know a few books, one moment!" She disappeared around the bookshelves corner. Seconds later, there were the sounds of books being shuffled around with a certain type of excitement.

...If she truly wants to stalk him, Dark Rockman will tolerate for now. As long as she did what he wanted to aid in his objectives, anyway.

Children are far easier to control. This method was easier than the others he had in mind.

"Found them!" Mitty came back with five books in hand. She ran over to one of the dusty tables nearby. She didn't care for the annoying dust, sitting down in an equally dirty chair with no small grin. The little girl patted one of the seats next to her, obviously inviting him to sit while she flipped to the first page. The library was quiet under the sound of paper turning.

Dark Rockman eventually followed but had the decency to wipe his chair clean first. A bored expression on his face, his head rested in his hand.

"Okay okay, I found the right place to begin. Ready?" Mitty asked with a cheerful blink.

"Go on." The robot urged. "For each book, I'll answer a question.  _Sincerely,_  this time." His actions before were a fluke. He could hardly remember why he fled from the conversation; the brunette never did that before. He was one of the fearless darkloids! Running from a mere child for whatever reason...Utterly pathetic. He'll correct his error by torturing himself. Listening to a little girl read a book for a couple of hours seemed to be the perfect punishment as well as informative to his goals.

Mitty gave him one last smile, her eyes held hope for something he didn't understand. "Alright! So...The Abyss was," And she began reading.

Meanwhile, the robot activated his translator program (apparently from being a netnavi his useful translator programme had transferred here) and slowly followed her words with the odd lines of language in the book. He could learn with this; a much more effective way than trying to figure the books out on his own. Less time and more learning through simple methods.

The true bonus will be when the little girl finally loses interest in him.

All shall be well.

"So, how did you change out of your armor into that?" Mitty questioned after the tenth page of the book. Her coral eyes shined even in the dim room, faint traces of light reflecting the overbearing curiosity threatening to break through the surface.

Dark Rockman gave her an unamused stare.

 _It's never that easy._  He internally groaned.

...And sadly, he couldn't just beat her up to get results.

This is going to be difficult.


	3. Two-Bit-Coins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It snows too much here...Coupled with the hungry and weak humans; the mortality rate in town is very high.
> 
> Dark Rockman unintentionally decides to pick his only ally.

"Hey, Dark Rockman?"

The robot spared the little girl a glance as he absently turned back to the book he held. It has been an entire week since he's come to the surface, and rich calm from the town had irked his nerves. Dark Rockman felt his circuits(nerves?) already begin to crave the remnants of battle. It's been on his mind the whole morning, and here he was; reading a book. "What do you want?" Perhaps his voice was too harsh because the coral haired girl appeared to flinch.

"I just...Um...I wanted to ask about your fingers!" Mitty blurted, eyes wide and nervous. "They er...Look weird."

Dark Rockman scoffed, flexing his digits. "The hell are you talking about? My fingers are," He nearly paused upon catching sight of the odd bolts clashing with his metallic fingers. The colors of the foreign metals versus the actual material clashed horribly. A sickly black hue on pale fingers.

 _Oh._ He dumbly thought.  _From_ that _time._ Seething, the robot crossed his arms. "Don't stare." Dark Rockman demanded, slightly disturbed at this new development. "Just a misfortunate event." He finally grumbled, swiping his book again from the table. "Now don't bother me. I'm still trying to read."

Mitty blinked quizzingly at him. "Even though you're having trouble reading?" Her voice was curious, full of question and wonder.

The robot didn't hesitate to glare at her, a harsh sneer growing on his lips. "Heh. For  _your_ information; I'm doing much better than I was a few days ago." And that was the truth. His translators have been registering words more fluidly, and his practiced writing skills have gained a consistent pattern. Dark Rockman had practiced for hours; Mitty refusing to leave his side for more than an hour.

There was a wordless agreement to meet up at this library ever since the day they met. The former-netnavi still isn't fond of the child but she had her uses. ...He doesn't know what she gets out of watching him and reading stories aloud when he's busy writing but that's not his problem.

Sure, Mitty's tiring to be around, but that's likely because he's never been around someone for so long without fighting them. It's draining him mentally. Dark Rockman wonders if there were any other navies who ended up in a situation similar to his. He'd definitely sympathize with them. The Net and the outer world are completely different.

One might call it 'Homesickness.'

Dark Rockman would call it a lack of adaptability.

While walking around as a robot wouldn't be his first choice; there were worse options such as a normal human. Living creatures had their own limits. His metallic body lacked lungs to breathe but he could still move. Yes, his structure still needed energy but the abyss could provide such for him. This was a world where  _Dark Rockman_ held the advantage.

Still, it's best to know the enemy. The pit with monsters remained dangerous as he resided as an outlier. The more information, the better.

"...Really?"

Dark Rockman barely managed not to twitch in annoyance. "See it yourself!" He snapped, the little girl before him snatching a paper of writing near his resting arm. She waved the sheet rigorously.

"I will!" Mitty boldly announced, soon quelling as she skimmed the paper over.

The robot went back to reading but paused when he heard a light shuffle in movement.

"It's not bad," The coral haired girl commented, and the former-navi did his best to ignore the shot of pride through his systems. "But it's not great either. I can do much better in my sleep!" Her words destroyed whatever ounce of confidence the robot had left.

Dark Rockman scowled at her for a long minute before it melted into a smile. He clasped his fingers together without a care, an atmosphere of the utmost calm surrounding him. On the inside, he was burning with fury but the librarian was present today. He refused to get banned from the only decent source of significant data.

Yes. The girl would feel his wrath later. Just not now.

The sudden weary look on Mitty's face was worth the action.

"W-Which is why I'll continue to help you get better! O-Okay? Right!" The girl blurted with a shake of the head. On closer inspection; the robot noticed Mitty had fumbled her words, an attempt to make phrases have a softer impact than usual.

Its a shame as a cruel navi himself; he was the master of such word-twisting. Though perhaps; the former-navi could allow this episode to pass. Not because she was a child but because the girl was trying this method on someone clearly stronger than her.

Dark Rockman could always use the amusement.

"I've finished this book. Could you be a  _dear_ and you get me a new one?" He drawled, waving the object lazily.

Much to his surprise, Mitty took the book without complaint. She raced away with the power of awkwardness and excitement combined. Not even a moment later; the girl threw herself into the chair next to him, practically vibrating in excitement. "I got one for us to read! It's my favorite!" Her cheery mood spoke volumes about her attempt to manipulate him moments before.

Dark Rockman decided to remain quiet, simply observant as she flattened the book on the table.

"Okay, okay! So!" Mitty squinted as she opened the book to the first page. "This book tells of the rumors and possible truths about white whistles-Which I'll definitely be one day!" She gloated, revealing her dream to dusty books and one lone robot.

"Uh-Huh." Dark Rockman effortlessly glossed over her declaration.

Mitty didn't seem fazed by his impassive expression at all.

He turned her out as she rambled about the excitement and mystery of the abyss, bringing up several theories of her own. The robot viewed the book's old texture and gave it a tiny look-over as a question finally registered.

"Hey, Dark Rockman, what do you want to do in the abyss?" Mitty exclaimed a little too loudly, piping down when the old librarian nearby tossed her a look. An apologetic grin was on her face before a tiny finger tapped on the paper sheet of the book. "I mean, isn't that where you came from?" Her voice dropped to a whisper, heavy curiosity in those coral eyes of hers.

The robot held up his head with an arm, still uninterested.

"I don't have a specific goal; if that's what you mean." Dark Rockman allowed his words to spill true. "For now, I'm just doing what I want." Which is completely fine with him. He wasn't going to rush, no matter the amount of fire flowing through his circuits. Rushing was another key factor to his deletion. Hastiness is an enemy.

...At least, half the time.

"That's…" Mitty squinted her eyes. "Kinda cool. You know; you have that ' _I'm so cold and dangerous so don't approach me'_ vibe!" She helpfully told him. "Doing whatever you want is good too!" The little girl then flipped to a page with pale whistle designs. "This is a white whistle! The way they shine in the moonlight and hold a majestic aura…!" She appeared to grin widely. "Isn't it awesome, Darky?"

Dark Rockman didn't refrain from stopping the scowl on his face. "Don't you  _dare_ call me that! We may meet up at this library but we're certainly  _not_ friends." He snapped and relished in the slight hurt flashing across her face.

"Er," The little girl lightly coughed into a hand. "Sure...Sorry, Dark Rockman." She apologized softly before a wave of positivity came crashing back on her atmosphere. "Now let's begin!" Her announcement was quickly shushed by the lone librarian again, and she shyly apologized before rushing to open the neat stack of paper and colored-fabric.

...The robot had the strangest feeling she wasn't too hurt about his attitude at all.

He wasn't sure how to tackle that topic and merely decided to dismiss it for now.

And so Dark Rockman took in Mitty's constant (and very  _very_  absurd) readings with nothing more than a straight-faced look of acceptance.

 _Well, it's not like I have anything else to do…_  The robot reasoned with himself, somewhat reluctant.  _It's more information on my part, anyway. I'll just stick around for this last book._

In the end, he stayed with her for an extra two hours.

* * *

A jolt of mirth ran up and through his circuits, entertaining him with ideas of what to do with the current footsteps following him through the snow. Dark Rockman tried not to be too obvious, nervously glancing left and right while averting his eyes with expert meekness. Occasionally he would pause to observe some fruit or humans passing by. This was an efficient way to stall. He led his stalker through the town's roads, eventually walking into one of the most-human-absent allies of the town he had learned to around in.

Honestly, the former-netnavi had no idea why this person decided to follow him-He's not in armor. Surely Dark Rockman looked broke despite the clean clothes he wore?

 _Then I guess they just fancy children?_  The robot certainly looked the part.

Ceasing his steps in the snow, he turned to face his likely soon-to-be assailant. "You shouldn't follow children around. That's disgusting." He chirped, smiling a little under his gleaming hues of sharp ruby. Multiple ideas flashed through his processor, and glee began to tickle his chin.

"You." The person quietly started with nothing more than a breath.

"Me." Dark Rockman eagerly answered, fixed metallic fingers flexing.

He took a moment to realize the other's face was covered by a hood. The creep-factor shot through the roof as the robot frowned. "...Well, if you're not going to say anything." Dark Rockman fell into a stance of offense. "Then I'm going to do something to ease my bloodlust. This is just self-defense, you know?" And all that.

The robot took a step forward but paused when the suspicious person spoke once more.

"Are you interested in a wager?" His or her voice was monotone, disinterested in the fact the robot aimed to beat them to a pulp. It was concerning, to show such little emotion for one who practically declares they're going to hit you hard and without mercy. That kind of recklessness is unnatural. It's highly likely the other had a trump card.

Dark Rockman frowned, "Not...Really." This was turning out much differently than what he had originally planned. "Why don't you make a bet on who wins our little brawl? That works for me." The lack of response from the other gravely disappointed him. He took a step forward to continue what was started but the other retreated a couple steps.

_How boring._

"A shame." The hooded person commented as they stepped into the shadows of the ally. "I was hoping you'd play a small game with me," The pause was enough for the robot to scoff loudly.

"As  _if_ you idiotic crook-" Dark Rockman began to taunt,

"Then, I'll see you later, my precious Robot-kun…"

Dark Rockman never moved so fast in his whole activation period. His arm had dug through the alleyway wall like it was solid clay, creating quite the large hole. Pieces of brick fell to the snowy ground as the quiet itched at him.

The person he aimed to stab had vanished as if they never existed.

Meanwhile, his thoughts were jumbled and unhealthy.

 _He's alive? I crushed his head!_ Dark Rockman took a moment to recall the wet crunch and more. Past memoirs loaded up without his permission; the robot coming to terms with having memory banks. Useful, but the situation wasn't improving.  _Are you kidding me?_ He had left the encounter with the mad scientist at the back of his head.

Now the events were rushing back, the mere thoughts causing him grievance. The darkloid snuck a glance toward his fingers, eying the contrasting bolts. He moved the digits, listening to the tiny clink of unnatural metal.

"Damn…" The robot glanced to the footprinted snow, traces buried by heavy snowflakes.

_Everything just piles up, doesn't it?_

* * *

Dark Rockman had taken the time to thoroughly look and ask around about his strange encounter. In the end, no one had seen them. They should've, with that weird hood, but they didn't. It was as if they had never existed.

On the bright side; some actual punks decided to attempt picking on him. He tore them a new one for their troubles. No one was permanently mauled but rumors of a 'demon child with red eyes' had certainly spread. Keeping his head down was easy enough. Those who saw his eyes easily kept quiet in case they were next on his 'list.'

"Thank you, for your purchase!" The familiar high-pitched voice gathered his attention. "Come back again!"

The robot glanced over at the loan stand several feet away, Mitty seated with horrid wooden carvings. Her 'shop' looked poorly made, nails and wood black and brown with rot. She had an expression of both patience and determination wrapped in one; thoroughly dismissing her own poverty.

Dark Rockman couldn't help but want to see this.

He arrived just on time to see an old man walk off with one of the girl's products. After keeping a close eye on him; the robot observed how the human threw away the wooden piece into the darkloid wouldn't have noticed if not for his zoom-in feature. "What are you doing?" Dark Rockman questioned Mitty, trying to keep it together through the light bubbles of mirth wanting to break through.

"Oh! Dark Rockman?" Mitty blinked with wonder. "I'm earning money!" She proudly told him, gesturing to her unethical crafted structures.

One of them looked like a dying slime. He wondered how she managed such a feat with such poor marksmanship.

"For what?" Those rags she keeps wearing?

"Some relics! Oh, and food." And almost on cue; her stomach released a mighty growl to agree with her story.

Dark Rockman resisted a flinch, cautious of the sound. He knew it was normal for humans but the involuntary growl didn't creep him out any less. "What do you need those weird rocks for?" He questioned in his haste, feeling woozy.

"Some to observe, others for you," Mitty explained with a thumbs up. "All that metal but you can't fool me! The reason why you skipped out on our library sessions is that you're low on energy, right?" She clasped her hands together.

Dark Rockman stared at her, mouth flatlined.

Snowflakes continued to descend without a care.

"I guess." He decided to say, shrugging absentmindedly. "And so you decided to sell...This?" Those wood pieces shouldn't exist. It looks horrid, done by a drunk handler. The girl was underaged, however; how did she manage to create these monstrosities?

Her coral eyes sparkled. "Yeah! Do you like them?"

 _As much as I like masked creeps,_ He opened his mouth to tell her such.

"Wait, hold on!" Mitty blurted, cutting his future words off. "I forgot," She shuffled in the back of the stand, eventually bringing up a single wooden piece. "I made this one for you! Free of charge." The young child looked awfully proud of the work; back straight.

Dark Rockman stared at the silly wooden figure which was supposed to be  _him._

It looked like an old-fashioned Candyland gingerbread piece. He didn't even realize he picked it up until the tiny structure fell backward on his palm. The robot snorted at the poor craftsmanship, amused by the sloppy face it was given.

Still. Now that he thought about it; this weird wooden thing was willingly given as a gift.

...Now if only it wasn't so ugly.

The former netnavi then noticed the girl's waiting face of positive attitude.

"It's  _okay…"_ He carefully began but silenced himself afterward due to Mitty's bright smile of pure happiness.

Her teeth sickened him a little, reminded of a young brunette from not too long ago. Those pearly whites should not be this clean! Isn't she poor?

"I'm leaving." Dark Rockman announced, swiftly turning to leave and continue off into town. He placed the wooden structure in a metal compartment that could open and close. The robot would...Throw it out later.

"See you later, and caaatch!" Mitty's voice echoed in warning.

He didn't need to turn around in order to grab the relic. Dark Rockman blankly stared ahead, the sphere crumbling in his hand as his systems registered its presence. He didn't give her a 'goodbye' and left into the deeper part of the streets.

* * *

"Dark Rockman?" The high-pitched voice brought his attention back to the book in hand. The library's quiet was too distracting to his processors, apparently. "Why have you been so mad lately?" Mitty questioned, eyes full of the curious wonder he's come to resist scowling at.

"None of your business." The robot grumbled, swiftly closing his book.

Mitty didn't seem to give up. "Are you looking for someone?" Her curiosity irritated him.

Dark Rockman gave her an unkind smile. "What makes you think that?"

Coral hues gained an unknown gleam. "I've seen you wander the streets occasionally. Your walking habits actually brought you close to the orphanage." Mitty explained. "If you want; I could help you!" She offered with a smile.

The robot stared at her with a dumbfounded facet. "I thought you lived on the streets?" The little girl certainly looked the part.

"No? H-Hey! I have somewhere to sleep!" Mitty corrected him with a near-offended tone. "I just don't like staying there for too long. Its boring." Mitty murmured with a shake of the head. "But you're different from all those other kids." Coral hues sparkled with the pleasant admiration. "You like adventures too!"

Dark Rockman decided not to say anything to that.

"So? Who are we looking for?" Mitty inquired, fingers spread on the table.

" _We_ , aren't looking for anyone. It's personal. I'll be the one to find them." Dark Rockman finally said, mouth curved into a smile. "It'll be much too violent for you to see what I have planned." He admitted with a thoughtful expression. The girl next to him merely blinked. "...Just," The darkloid roughly messed up her hair with a cruel smile. "Stay in your bubble and do children things."

Mitty shrugged. "Okay." Although it was obvious she wouldn't do that. "Just be careful, Dark Rockman. Adults around here aren't too nice to kids." She warned with a slight wince.

The robot nearly scoffed but ended up nodding along. If she wanted to think they were around the same age; so be it.

"Yeah yeah…" He'll keep that in mind.

Now that he thought about it; perhaps the whiny brats of this town knew of the hooded stranger.

* * *

Dark Rockman flipped a coin in the air; the gold piece snatched by oddly patterned digits as gravity tried to take the flat circle for itself. The air was clean today; a lack of annoying flurries made the robot have a more positive mood. The extra change he had only gave him a bigger grin.

Now  _how_ he got the money…

Well, the children of this town were certainly  _generous._

...He didn't rough the brats around too much. They attempted picking on him like the idiots they were, so he merely emptied their pockets after hanging them by the foot from tree branches. If they wanted to be insufferable brats, then they would face punishment. They may be poor but the robot holds no mercy for those who approach him.

The coins...It wasn't a lot of money but it was enough to feel smug about. They would likely either fear him next time or come at him with a bigger group. Perhaps with actual adults and weapons.

Honestly; the former-netnavi didn't care which.

Looking at the money; he could buy himself a nice hat with this! ...Like those angled pieces he saw on the Net all the time. A fedora maybe? It certainly looked stylish but he couldn't exactly waltz into a store without being attacked by the net police in his world. In this town, no one knew who he really was; minus the rumors anyway.

He should take advantage of that fact.

Dark Rockman mused about the color choice of fedoras until he paused at the uncomfortable sound of a growl. Not from a savage animal, and he noted such when the robot turned the corner and glanced down on the indented snow with a little girl on top. The coral-colored hair was easy to recognize under all the white fluffy ice. She looked to be cradling her stomach, curled in a venerable position.

The rumble coming from her resulted in unease; Dark Rockman flexing his fingers.

"What's with you?" Why was she on the floor like that? Was the girl ill or something? There's no snot running down her nose...Or an apparent fever.

A single eye opened. The single eyeball moved it's pupil to find the speaker, unsettling the robot further."Oh. Dark Rockman..." She murmured. "I'm just...Playing a game, see?" The obvious lie was almost laughable. "I don't have the energy, so I'm preserving it." Her voice was tired, almost raspy against the light cheerful-tone she had.

Dark Rockman slowly nodded with a thoughtful hum. "I see. Well, have fun." He would leave her to it.

He made it five feet because the stomach growling halted his tracks. The robot turned to glare daggers at the insolent human but paused when he noticed her expression of pain. Unsure of what he was doing it was too late; the robot stood over her. "Hey. What happened to your crappy wooden-figure shop?"

Mitty didn't respond.

Dark Rockman impatiently slammed a metal arm against a concrete wall. The noise startled the human below as a shiver wrecked her form. The robot patiently waited this time.

"I lost my money, so I didn't get to..." The young child admitted quietly, voice falling to a rasp.

"How?" He cut in, sincerely curious.

"Some other kids took it from me." Mitty bitterly grit.

Dark Rockman snorted in amusement, wondering if he could retch another negative response from her. " _Those_  weaklings?" He cackled, thoroughly amused by the prospect. The robot waited for her to get angry and rebut with something ill-intentioned but the girl kept true. Her tiny sigh irked him greatly. "Huh. Guess that just means you're weaker. No harm no foul, yeah?" He inspected his own fingers; the disguised brunette taking a moment to recall his current mission.

"Yeah…" Mitty agreed, the pitiful human closing her eyes again. "I'm just...Gonna take a nap here for a bit, okay? I'll see you at the library tomorrow. Same time?" The coral haired girl questioned, sounding dazed and out of it.

"Yeah. Whatever. Same time." Dark Rockman offhandedly told her, noting how she went silent. He stared at her resting face, mouth curved into a tiny frown from obvious pain. Different from her usual smile and beaming positivity, she clung to a desperate string of life.

He turned to leave, intent on continuing his search for the day. There may have been a few places he hasn't seen...

...The robot turned back, footsteps quiet as the still-air. The atmosphere was entirely non-existent as if it was just him in the area. Dark Rockman absentmindedly out his change and poured most of the coins in front of her hands. Mitty's eyebrows twitched but she didn't get up. The former-netnavi mourned the loss of getting the fedora he finally stepped away and left off down the alleyway corner.

He didn't feel lighter, content or any of that proposed mushy robot only felt cold from the freezing air; his systems straining a little from the frost trying to force its way in. Perhaps it was because he was a being of metal and not unique data, and now his previous ability to properly express emotions had vanished.

Did this mean he became a common robot? ...His structure looks too refined to be common. Dark Rockman lacked the knowledge of the robot's true function, and so he was still stuck in terms on how to push this body to its limits.

"Irritating." The former-netnavi grumbled, searching the gray clouded sky for an answer to his own predicament.

To his surprise; Mitty appeared in his processed thoughts. A suggestion about the girl determining she may aid him in whatever as long as he listened to her absurd stories. There were a couple problems with this solution.

Dark Rockman didn't like humans. They always got in the way. He would likely lose patience with her, and such lead to violent outbursts he'd rather not deal with.

Well, maybe Dark Rockman ask her later; if she's still alive that is.

* * *

"Dark Rockman!" The annoying familiar voice called out.

It didn't take long for the girl's voice to register. Unsurprisingly; she was alive.

Dark Rockman absentmindedly kicked a pebble on the streets.

Seconds later, his pathway was blocked by Mitty herself; coral eyes shining with something he couldn't identify despite radiating happiness. "I finally found you!" She announced with a grin, gaining attention from a couple of nosy people. They moved about their business when she began dragging him away. The robot only allowed her to lead because he had nothing else to do.

"You know, yesterday; I got a good deal on bread and cheese!" Mitty boasted, mouth curved in a victorious grin. "It was my lucky day!" She declared with a pumped fist. "The  _luckiest_!"

Dark Rockman silently disagreed considering the prior events of yesterday, and merely glanced away tiredly.

He barely noticed the fabric wrapped over his neck before it was far too late; the robot tensed as he expected some sort of horrors to harm him. Ruby eyes glanced to the object with heavy suspicion. His fingers immediately took a hold of it.

"It's just a scarf, silly!" Mitty laughed as Dark Rockman stared holes into the clean piece of clothing.

"Where did you even get this from?" The robot inquired, gaze occasionally darting to the little girl who might secretly be a thief. ...That wouldn't be a bad plot twist.

"A nice old lady did it. She owns a clothing shop with her grandson not too far from here." Mitty grinned, looking quite proud of herself. "After I got some food to last the week; I had leftovers and brought this from her!" She seemed to cower from him, likely noticing the robot's exasperation. "...Are you angry?"

Dark Rockman glared dagger at her; of course, he's furious! "What do  _you_ think?" He didn't give her money to buy...That. Yes, she got the food to survive as needed but the leftover is supposed to be used for emergencies. Instead; the foolish girl brought a scarf? The idiocy of humanity!

"I couldn't help it! I wanted to buy something to thank you!" Mitty blurted with a shake of the head to clear up any possible misunderstanding. "I just...Um…" She trailed off, unsure and suddenly shy. Her poor rags of clothing only irritated the robot further.

"How stupid." Dark Rockman grunted, testing the strength of the scarf with his metal digits. "Thank me for what?" He sneered, ruby glinting with a cruel; the little girl in front of him seemed unaffected.

"For hanging out with me! I really like our time together. Even though you don't look like you feel the same way...Take the scarf, Dark Rockman!" Mitty shouted, her voice lightly quivering with a plead. Her fingers fiddled with one another despite the fire in her coral hues. "But if you really don't want to be my friend...Then I get it." It was understandable. Most loners preferred to keep solo.

At least, that's what people think.

Dark Rockman twirled a piece of the cloth between his fingers. The fabric was smooth in itself, silky and non-transparent. The plain color reminded of his usual netnavi suit, a contrast to his new robot armor hue of dark navy blue. The choice wasn't a bad one; the child had a small sense of fashion, it seemed.

"I don't hate it." The robot mumbled, eying the ground as he wondered about his first gift. "I  _guess_ it's mine now…Thanks." He stole a glance back toward her; eyes of hope shining at him. Such innocence was a bit...Irritating to his processors but he'll deal with it since the scene was so minor.

He was prepared when she threw herself at him. Dark Rockman smirked in amusement when she whined right after, rubbing a bump on her face for slamming face-first into pure metal.  _Idiot._ He internally mocked with a pang of mirth.

"Ouch...What are you made of?" Mitty grumbled, and the robot decided to give her an answer to humor himself.

"Circuits, metal and possibly oil." The sequence was simple enough.

"Ehh? Wait! So you're a robot?" Mitty gasped, pointing at him frantically. The girl froze at his stern expression, and she nervously coughed before dropping her voice to a whisper. "That's…! I didn't?" She trailed off again, unsure. "I thought you were some really hard-muscled kid. I mean, I knew you look frail but a robot?" Her eyes gained a familiar sparkle of interest. "Really?" A hint of doubt poisoned her words.

Dark Rockman stared at her.

" _What?_ You didn't know?" He was certain she understood a little! At least, have the knowledge he wasn't human. When she vigorously shook her head; the robot laughed at her idiocy. "I suppose I overestimated you!" The cloth shifting around his neck made him pause briefly. "My disguise is precise. It's no surprise children can't see through it." Dark Rockman hummed.

"Mhm! A really good disguise. It just makes you cooler, Dark Rockman!" Mitty whispered hurriedly in a jolly voice. Her legs were vibrating with either cold or eager excitement.

"Heck yeah, I am." The robot mumbled, glancing off to the side as his circuits began to heat up. He purposely avoided the child's wanted high-five. Instead, he grinned at her pouting expression.

"Don't wear it out."


End file.
